I agree that, although it may be a “fad”, Twitter is still in it’s early stages and has become an increasingly important tool in our society, and an incredibly effective means of communication.

Of course there are advantages and disadvantages to everything and I really don’t think we can fault people who just post “tidbits of seemingly useless information”. Some people may be interested in those tidbits and like other social media tools, it may be a way for people to keep up with friends who live in different places.

And I also agree that I really like seeing how more and more influential people are starting to use this tool. It’s very exciting to see what’s out there.

The idea of Twitter being a fad is due in large part to the ability to “follow” celebrities such as Ashton Kutcher. However upon a deeper look, one will begin to realize the many ways Twitter can be much more than a celebrity tracking tool.

Twitter allows individuals an outlet to become better writers. There are only 140 characters allotted which makes for informative and concise writing. Twitter also encourages networking which can help lead individuals to create or further along an existing career or connect through similar interests. Corporations benefit from the use of Twitter by creating awareness and keeping consumers up to date with developments of their brand or company.

Twitter has many advantages. It offers benefits to the individual and the corporation and I think we will see a large growth in the acceptance of Twitter in the future.

With Twitter, information is literally right at our fingertips. A couple of months ago, I was working on a paper about steps to change corporate culture. I tweeted about this, hoping for a few words (or tweets) of advice. Within just a few minutes I received a number of responses from people in the PR industry, happy to share their own ideas and tips on changing corporate culture. This is truly the only form of social media that can produce such instant, and varied, results.

Speaking to a journalist in the industry reaffirmed this belief. He said when seeking any advice or tips on a particular topic, he simply tweets about it and receives numerous responses from experts in that field. Certainly as a business and research tool, I think Twitter surpasses a number of other social media outlets, and for this reason, I have a feeling it will only continue to grow in popularity.

I think the effectiveness of Twitter as a networking tool is undeniable when people decide to maintain an active account, logging in several times a day. However, to sustain itself as an effective tool for businesses communications becomes difficult to say, because it is hard to measure the motive behind people using Twitter. However, many people flood their Twitter feeds with information that does not provide insightful information, rather just tidbits of seemingly useless information.

Twitter is an extremely effective networking device and useful social media tool if you take the time to find people worth following and in turn update information, which can benefit others. In this light, Twitter is more than a fad, and it is in fact an exciting way to enhance relationships and help build new ones. For those that use it just because it is a ‘hot topic’, the novelty of updating useless tidbits of information does not have sustainability, and for those people Twitter will become a fad like many other social media tools.

Recent talks, from bloggers, reveal a new form of networking called socialized media. Essentially, socialized media uses visuals to communicate in lieu of the written word. Arguments are made that visuals do not provide enough context for the audience.

However, if we look at social websites, like Twitter, where messages must be written in 140 characters this furthers the idea that written words are becoming unnecessary and the power of visuals should not be underestimated.

I am not convinced that Twitter will always be around because someone else will create a new social networking community eventually, but I think the key here is the interactivity between people who normally would not have a chance to engage with each other. Through Twitter, I have had the opportunity to speak with CEOs of public relation firms, a chance that I do not feel I would have had otherwise.

I do think it takes a great deal of time and effort to build up a community and since I am a student and do not have a lot of free time, sometimes I do feel like I am talking to myself. Social media, and Twitter in particular (at least at this time), is a worthwhile tool for individuals who have the time to invest it in. It is certainly an excellent method for organizations to use to interact with their publics, manage their brand, and monitor what is being said about the company online.

I think Jamie brings up a very interesting point – how effective is it for businesses? Well, from a PR perspective and recent experiences I would say it can be very effective – depending on what your objectives are. Take for instance, the announcement of the new 3G iPhone. In Canada, the only service provider that hosts the iPhone is Rogers. Many people have opinions on this, and on Rogers services in general. But in the last few days the customer service responses I’ve seen on Twitter have been incredible. Kudos to @keithmcarthur and his team for doing such a great job. Prior to Twitter, there was no other way to get information or customer service aside from phoning directly or waiting for FAQ’s to be posted to a site. Now, people are getting answers in real time (for the most part) and they know that they are connecting with a real person who knows what they’re talking about – not a call center in India.

-Kerri

It is a huge topic of conversation among PR folks everywhere. But the question remains, how effective is it for businesses? How do we measure the success of Twitter for business purposes?

I am a relatively new user so I’m still getting the feel for how others are using it. Sometimes I think that people are joining the Twitter craze with a Facebook mentality. I think it’s important to recognize that social media are different and they do require a slightly different approach. But as a growing medium I’m interested to see where it goes.

In recent months, Twitter has taken the social media world by storm but a recent study conducted by Nielson Online suggests that despite its popularity, Twitter may just be a fad. The study found that Twitter has a very low retention rate of only 40%, whereas other forms of social media like Facebook have a retention rate of 70%. Although Twitter has grown exponentially in the last few months, it must establish higher user loyalty in order to sustain itself long-term and not be labelled a fad.

On the other hand, Twitter is a very valuable communication tool. According to the Wall Street Journal, Twitter ignites new thinking, conversation and ideas. It connects people throughout the world, giving them the ability to share their thoughts and insights which leads to newer conversations and trains of thought. On Twitter, you can follow the most creative, new-age thinkers on the internet. This is why I like it most! In this way, Twitter acts as a valuable resource and educational tool that no other communication mediums currently provide.

Overall, I think that Twitter is an effective communication tool that is revolutionizing the way we communicate. I am interested to see what social media tool we will be introduced to next!

I do although want to issue a word of warning about Twitter. I strongly believe that it should be used as strictly a tactic rather than a strategy. To engage your company or brand on this site means constant monitoring. Twitter unlike most business is not nine to five…so be careful how you use it should you chose to do so professionally.